Music is the arrangement ofsound to create some combination ofform,harmony,melody,rhythm, or otherwiseexpressive content. Music is generally agreed to be acultural universal that is present in all human societies.Definitions of music vary widely in substance and approach. While scholars agree that music is defined by a small number ofspecific elements, there is no consensus as to what these necessary elements are. Music is often characterized as a highly versatile medium for expressing humancreativity. Diverse activities are involved in the creation of music, and are often divided into categories ofcomposition,improvisation, andperformance. Music may be performed using a wide variety ofmusical instruments, including thehuman voice. It can also be composed, sequenced, or otherwise produced to be indirectly played mechanically or electronically, such as via amusic box,barrel organ, ordigital audio workstation software on a computer.

Music often plays a key role in social events andreligious ceremonies. The techniques of making music are often transmitted as part of a cultural tradition. Music is played in public and private contexts, highlighted at events such asfestivals and concerts for various different types of ensembles. Music is used in the production of other media, such as insoundtracks to films, TV shows,operas, and video games.

Listening to music is a common means ofentertainment. The culture surrounding music extends into areas ofacademic study,journalism,philosophy,psychology, andtherapy. Themusic industry includes songwriters, performers,sound engineers, producers, tour organizers, distributors of instruments, accessories, and publishers ofsheet music andrecordings. Technology facilitating therecording and reproduction of music has historically includedsheet music,microphones,phonographs, andtape machines, with playback ofdigital music being a common use forMP3 players,CD players, andsmartphones. (Full article...)

General images -load new batch

The following are images from various music-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Japanese boy bandArashi, who had the world's best-selling album (5x20 All the Best!!) in 2019 (fromAlbum era)
Image 2Guillaume Du Fay (left), withGilles Binchois (right) in ac. 1440 Illuminated manuscript copy ofMartin le Franc'sLe champion des dames (fromHistory of music)
Image 3As LPs fell out of favor to CDs,hip hop producers repurposed them assampling sources, contributing to the development ofrecord collecting. (fromAlbum era)
Image 4An audience watching aconcert (fromMusic industry)
Image 5A young couple listening to music on aniPod Mini, 2006 (fromAlbum era)
Image 6The portableDiscman CD player, which was released in 1984 and precipitated the displacement of LPs (fromAlbum era)
Image 7Two musicians of theEastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE),Shanghai Museum (fromHistory of music)
Image 8The Rolling Stones in 1967 (fromAlbum era)
Image 9A smartphone displaying playlists onSpotify, 2010. Thestreaming service became a dominant and redefining platform for music consumption through the decade. (fromAlbum era)
Image 10Alleluia nativitas byPerotin from the Codex Guelf.1099 (fromHistory of music)
Image 11US vinyl sales in units, 1995–2020; while album sales overall declined, those in thevinyl format rose toward the end of the 2010s. (fromAlbum era)
Image 12AnHMV record shop inWakefield, England closing its operation in 2013 (fromAlbum era)
Image 13The logo forApple Inc.'s onlineiTunes store, which sells digital files of songs and musical pieces–along with a range of other content, such as digital files ofTV shows andmovies (fromMusic industry)
Image 14The Beatles have been credited by music historians for heralding the album era. (fromAlbum era)
Image 15An example of mechanically printed sheet music (fromMusic industry)
Image 16A young man browsing through arecord store inBonn, West Germany, June 1988 (fromAlbum era)
Image 17Pink Floyd (1973) performingThe Dark Side of the Moon, a leading commercial success of the LP era (fromAlbum era)
Image 18AnLP record on a phonograph (fromAlbum era)
Image 19c. 379 CE Bas relief ofSassanid women playing thechang inTaq-e Bostan, Iran (fromHistory of music)
Image 20Notation indicating differing pitch, dynamics, articulation, and instrumentation (fromElements of music)
Image 21The monumentalBianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng,c. 5th century BCE, from Hubei (fromHistory of music)
Image 22ARhodes College student listening to the 1969Yes LP on campus,c. 1970 (fromAlbum era)
Image 23Circular definition of "musicality" (fromElements of music)
Image 24Platinum records byElvis Presley,Prince,Madonna,Lynyrd Skynyrd, andBruce Springsteen, atJulien's Auctions (fromAlbum era)
Image 25Sheet music for part of theMissa Papae Marcelli byGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (fromHistory of music)
Image 26Frances Densmore at theSmithsonian Institution in 1916 where she was recordingBlackfoot chiefMountain Chief for theBureau of American Ethnology. In this picture, Mountain Chief is listening to a recording. (fromMusic industry)
Image 27A studio engineer working with anaudio mixer in a recording studio (fromMusic industry)
Image 28TheBull Headed Lyre of Ur, found in theRoyal Cemetery at Ur, is the best known of the ancientLyres of Ur (fromHistory of music)
Image 29Stevie Wonder, among the era's innovative artists (fromAlbum era)
Image 30Frank Sinatra (c. 1955), an early pop album artist (fromAlbum era)
Image 31J. S. Bach (fromHistory of music)
Image 32Terracotta statue of a Parthian lute player (fromHistory of music)
Image 33Beyoncé (2016) popularized thesurprise-album strategy of the 2010s. (fromAlbum era)
Image 34Clara andRobert Schumann (fromHistory of music)
Image 35Musicians working in arecording studio (fromMusic industry)
Image 36Drawing of the tablet with the Hymn toNikkal (c. 1400 BCE), the oldest of the Hurrian songs (fromHistory of music)
Image 37A radio broadcasting system from 1906 (fromMusic industry)
Image 38A musician in a recording studio (fromMusic industry)
Image 39Kanye West (2007) emerged during the decade as an important hip-hop producer and album artist. (fromAlbum era)

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Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

Image 1

Soprano part from opening chorus with text in Bach's own hand,St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, 1724/1725

Christ lag in Todes Banden (also spelledTodesbanden; "Christ lay in death's bonds" or "Christ lay in the snares of death"),BWV 4, is a cantata for Easter by German composerJohann Sebastian Bach, one of his earliestchurch cantatas. It is agreed to be an early work partly for stylistic reasons and partly because there is evidence that it was probably written for a performance in 1707. Bach went on to complete many other works in the same genre, contributing complete cantata cycles for all occasions of theliturgical year.John Eliot Gardiner described it as Bach's "first-known attempt at painting narrative in music".
Christ lag in Todes Banden is achorale cantata, a style in which both text and music are based on ahymn. In this instance, the source wasMartin Luther'shymn of the same name, the main hymn forEaster in the Lutheran church. The composition is based on the seven stanzas of the hymn and its tune, which was derived from Medieval models. Bach used the unchanged words of a stanza of thechorale in each of the seven vocal movements, in the format of chorale variationsper omnes versus (for all stanzas), and he used its tune as acantus firmus. After an openingsinfonia, the variations are arranged symmetrically: chorus–duet–solo–chorus–solo–duet–chorus, with the focus on the central fourth stanza about the battle between Life and Death. All movements are inE minor, and Bach achieves variety and intensifies the meaning of the text through many musical forms and techniques. (Full article...)
Image 2
Still Reigning is a live performanceDVD by thethrash metal bandSlayer, released in 2004 throughAmerican Recordings. Filmed at theAugusta (Maine) Civic Center on July 11, 2004, the performance showcases Slayer's 1986 album,Reign in Blood, played in its entirety with the four original band members on a set resembling their 1986 Reign in Pain Tour.Still Reigning was voted "best live DVD" by the readers ofRevolver magazine, and receivedgold certification in 2005.

The DVD is notable for the finale, which features Slayer covered in stage blood while performing the song "Raining Blood", leading to a demandingaudio mixing process plagued by production and technical difficulties. The DVD's producerKevin Shirley spent hours replacingcymbal and drum hits one-by-one. He publicly aired financial disagreements he had with the band and criticized the quality of the recording, and as a result was allegedly subjected to threats and insults from people associated with the band. (Full article...)
Image 3
"I'm Goin' Down" is arock song written and performed by the American singer-songwriterBruce Springsteen. It was released on August 27, 1985 byColumbia Records as the sixthsingle from his 1984 albumBorn in the U.S.A. The song was recorded with theE Street Band in May 1982 at thePower Station music studio in New York City, andco-produced by Springsteen,Jon Landau,Chuck Plotkin, andSteve Van Zandt. Although Springsteen had changing ideas about the songs to put on the album, "I'm Goin' Down" was ultimately selected for inclusion.

The recording is based on an energetic band performance that gives prominence to a heavy drum sound. The lyrics focus on sexual frustration in a deteriorating relationship. The single reached No. 9 in the United States and the top 30 in Sweden, Italy, and Canada. On the album's release, it was praised by critics for the band's musicianship and Springsteen's vocals and lyrics. Later it received favorable rankings in retrospectives of Springsteen's career, among which was anNME list calling it his fourth best song. (Full article...)
Image 4
Late Registration is the second studio album by the American rapperKanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, throughRoc-A-Fella Records andDef Jam Recordings. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions held at studios in Hollywood and New York City, in collaboration withJon Brion. The album features guest appearances fromAdam Levine,Jamie Foxx,Common,Brandy,Lupe Fiasco,Jay-Z, andNas, among others.

West's production forLate Registration departed from the sped-upsoul samples of his debut studio album,The College Dropout (2004), moving towards a more elaborate and orchestral style with a 20-piece ensemble. Drawing creative inspiration fromalternative acts such asFiona Apple andPortishead, he experimented with musical shifts,string arrangements, and a variety of instruments not usually associated withhip-hop, including acelesta,harpsichord, andChinese bells. In an effort to write authentic yet relatable lyrics, West engages in storytelling while showcasing hisChristian heritage that informed his relationship to thecapitalist market economy. He critiques multiple issues, such asinstitutional racism,higher education,health care, and theblood diamond trade. (Full article...)
Image 5

Aaliyah in 2000

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (/ɑːˈliːə/ ^ⓘah-LEE-ə; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop," she is credited with helping to redefinecontemporary R&B,pop, andhip hop.Aaliyah's accolades include threeAmerican Music Awards and twoMTV VMAs, along with fiveGrammy Award nominations.

Born inBrooklyn and raised in Detroit, she first gained recognition at the age of 10, when she appeared on the television showStar Search and performed in concert alongsideGladys Knight. At the age of 12, Aaliyah signed withJive Records and her uncleBarry Hankerson'sBlackground Records. Hankerson introduced her toR. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album,Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994). The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After allegations of anillegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed withAtlantic Records. (Full article...)
Image 6

Original members performing inWellington, New Zealand in 2006 (From left to right:Nathan Foley,Charli Robinson,Kellie Crawford,Kathleen de Leon Jones andTim Harding)

Hi-5 were an Australianchildren's musical group formed in 1998 in association with thechildren's television series of the same name. Helena Harris andPosie Graeme-Evans created the television series for theNine Network, which premiered in 1999. The group were made up of five performers who entertained and educatedpreschool children through music, movement, and play.Kellie Crawford,Kathleen de Leon Jones,Nathan Foley,Tim Harding andCharli Robinson were the founding members. By the end of 2008, all of the original line-up had left, and the group's membership changed several more times after that. They collectively starred in several television series, released albums, and performed on worldwide tours. The television series features puppet characters Chatterbox and Jup Jup, who were included in the group'slive stage shows.

Hi-5 were one of Australia's highest paid entertainment groups, placing in theBusiness Review Weekly's annual list several times, earning an estimatedA$18 million in 2007. As employees of the brand, once owned by the Nine Network, the members of Hi-5 did not holdequity. TheAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified their albums as double platinum (It's a Party), platinum (Jump and Jive with Hi-5,Boom Boom Beat,It's a Hi-5 Christmas) and gold (Celebrate). Four of them reached the top 10 on theARIA Albums Chart;It's a Party (number four, July 2000),Boom Boom Beat (number three, August 2001),It's a Hi-5 Christmas (number four, December 2001) andHi-5 Hits (number ten, July 2003). By 2004, the original line-up had received threeLogie Television Awards forMost Outstanding Children's Program and five consecutiveARIA Music Awards forBest Children's Album. (Full article...)
Image 7
Romances is the twelfthstudio album by Mexican singerLuis Miguel, released on 12 August 1997, byWEA Latina. It is the third album of theRomance series, in which Luis Miguel covers Latin songs from 1940 to 1978. Aside from Luis Miguel, the production also involvedarranger Bebu Silvetti, andArmando Manzanero, who directed all of Luis Miguel'sRomance albums.Romances consists of twelvecover versions and two new compositions by Manzanero and Silvetti. Recording took place in early 1997 at the Ocean Way recording studio in Los Angeles, California.

Romances has sold over 4.5 million copies and received platinum certifications in several Latin American countries, the United States and Spain. Luis Miguel promoted the album by touring the United States, Latin America and Spain. Upon its release,Romances received generally positive reviews from music critics. They mainly praised his vocals and production of the album although few reviewers found the arrangements to be repetitive and the record too similar to its predecessors. The album earned Luis Miguel several awards, including theGrammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance in the United States. Six singles were released: "Por Debajo de la Mesa", "El Reloj", "Contigo (Estar Contigo)", "De Quererte Así (De T'Avoir Aimee)", "Bésame Mucho", and "La Gloria Eres Tú". (Full article...)
Image 8
Aaliyah is the third and final studio album by the American singerAaliyah. It was released on July 7, 2001, byBlackground Records andVirgin Records. Because of its packaging design, it is also known as "The Red Album". Aaliyah started to work on the album in 1998, but rescheduled its recording around her developing film career. She resumed recording in 2000 at Sing Sing Studios in Australia, where she shot her role for the 2002 filmQueen of the Damned during the day and recorded songs at night. Additional recording took place atManhattan Center andSony Music Studios in New York andWestlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, among other locations. Through her recording contract with Blackground, the singer worked primarily with the record label's in-house crew of writers and producers, includingBud'da, J. Dub,Rapture, andEric Seats, as well as longtime collaboratorTimbaland.

Aaliyah is described in critical commentaries as an album ofR&B,neo soul, anddance-pop, while drawing on an array of other genres such asfunk,hip-hop,alternative rock,electronica, andLatin music. The album's producers incorporated synthesizer melodies, fragmented beats, distorted guitar, and eccentrically manipulated vocals andsong structures, while much of the lyrics were written by singer-songwriterStatic Major, who shared a close friendship and strong rapport with Aaliyah. The resulting songs deal with the complexities of romantic love and different stages in a relationship. Aaliyah viewed the album as a reflection of herself as both a young adult and a matured vocalist. (Full article...)
Image 9
TheSymphony No. 3,Op. 36, also known as theSymphony of Sorrowful Songs (Polish:Symfonia pieśni żałosnych), is asymphony in threemovements composed byHenryk Górecki inKatowice, Poland, between October and December 1976. The work is indicative of the transition between Górecki's earlierdissonant style and his later moretonal style and "represented a stylistic breakthrough: austerely plaintive, emotionally direct and steeped in medieval modes". It was premièred on 4 April 1977, at theRoyan International Festival, withStefania Woytowicz as soprano andErnest Bour as conductor.

A solosoprano sings Polish texts in each of the three movements. The first is a 15th-century Polish lament ofMary, mother of Jesus; the second a message written on the wall of aGestapo cell during World War II; and the third aSilesian folk song of a mother searching for her son killed by the Germans in theSilesian uprisings. The first and third movements are written from the perspective of a parent who has lost a child, and the second movement from that of a child separated from a parent. The dominant themes of the symphony are motherhood, despair and suffering. (Full article...)
Image 10
Manos Arriba (English:Hands Up) is anextended play (EP) by American singerRosanna Tavarez released by her ownrecord label Patacon Productions in March 2008. Tavarez adopted thestage name Chana while pursuing a music career inLatin alternative music and used it for the EP. Chana rose to prominence in 2001 as a member of thegirl group Eden's Crush. Following their disbandment, she worked as ahost onmusic television shows and decided to record Spanish-language music after meeting producer Marthin Chan. She had previously rejected working withLatin music producers because she did not want to pursue a career in conventionalLatin pop.

Apop EP,Manos Arriba includes influences from other genres such asreggae,ska,power pop, anddisco. The lyrics were based on Chana's past relationships and break-ups. She wrote and produced all five songs with Chan, and recorded them in Los Angeles, including at his personal recording studio, over roughly two years. Chana was inspired by studyingAfro-Dominican dance and music. Music journalists believed the EP was not directly rooted in specifically Latin genres or topics and contrasted the style with her work with Eden's Crush. (Full article...)
Image 11

Roekiah,c. 1941

Roekiah (Perfected Spelling:Rukiah; 31 December 1917 – 2 September 1945), often credited asMiss Roekiah, was an Indonesiankroncong singer and actress. The daughter of two stage performers, she began her career at the age of seven; by 1932 she had become well known inBatavia,Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia), as a singer and stage actress. Around this time she metKartolo, whom she married in 1934. The two acted in the 1937 hit filmTerang Boelan, in which Roekiah andRd Mochtar played young lovers.

After the film's commercial success, Roekiah, Kartolo, and most of the cast and crew ofTerang Boelan were signed toTan's Film, first appearing for the company in their 1938 productionFatima. They acted together in two more films before Mochtar left the company in 1940; through these films, Roekiah and Mochtar became the colony's first on-screen couple. Mochtar's replacement,Rd Djoemala, acted with Roekiah in four films, although these were less successful. After theJapanese invaded the Indies in 1942, Roekiah took only one more film role before her death; most of her time was used entertaining Japanese forces. (Full article...)
Image 12
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriterBruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, throughColumbia Records. It wasproduced by Springsteen,Jon Landau,Steven Van Zandt, andChuck Plotkin, and recorded in New York City with theE Street Band over two years between January 1982 and March 1984. Some of the songs originated from the demo tape from Springsteen's previous albumNebraska (1982). The recording sessions yielded between 70 and 90 songs; some were released asB-sides, others saw release on compilation albums, while a number remain unreleased.

Born in the U.S.A.'s sound is more pop-influenced than Springsteen's earlier albums. Its production is typical of mainstream 1980s rock music, with heavy use of synthesizers and a prominentsnare drum. The lyrics contrast with the album's lively sound and continue the themes explored on previous records, particularlyNebraska. Topics include working-class struggles, disillusionment, patriotism, and personal relationships, although some tracks contain humorous lyrics. The cover photograph of Springsteen from behind against a backdrop of the American flag has appeared on lists of the best album covers. (Full article...)
Image 13
"Diamonds" is a song recorded by the Barbadian singerRihanna as the lead single for her seventh album,Unapologetic (2012).Sia wrote the track with the song's producers,Benny Blanco andStargate. The song premiered on September 26, 2012, during theElvis Duran and the Morning Show and was digitally released the following day as the lead single fromUnapologetic. "Diamonds" is a mid-tempopop,electronic andR&B ballad that features heavysynthesizers, orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms. The song's lyrics serve as a departure from the themes of unhealthy relationships that were on Rihanna's previous singles contrasted to the song's portrayal of lovers as "diamonds in the sky".Music critics complimented the song's emotional depth and maturity, while also praising the lyrics and Rihanna's vocal performance, though others felt that it lacked the depth and punch when compared to her previous hits.

"Diamonds" topped music charts in over 20 countries, including the United States, where it became Rihanna's twelfth number 1 single on theBillboard Hot 100 andtied her withMadonna andthe Supremes for the fifth-most number 1 singles in the chart's history. "Diamonds" was certifiedDiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over 3.5 million digital copies in the country. It was also certified Diamond in Poland. It also peaked at number 1 on theUK Singles Chart and became Rihanna's seventh number 1 song in the country; it was certified quadruple-times Platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI). By May 2013, it had sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. (Full article...)
Image 14
Smiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by the Americanrock bandthe Beach Boys, released on September 18, 1967. Conceived as a simpler and more relaxed version of their unfinishedSmile album,Smiley Smile is distinguished for its homespun arrangements, "stoned" aesthetic, andlo-fi production. Critics and fans generally received the album and its lead single, "Heroes and Villains", with confusion and disappointment. The album reached number 9 on UKrecord charts, but sold poorly in the U.S., peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart placement to that point.

Following principal songwriterBrian Wilson's declaration that most of the originalSmile tapes would be abandoned, the majority of the recording sessions lasted for six weeks athis makeshift home studio using radio broadcasting equipment, adetuned piano,electronic bass,melodica,found objects forpercussion, and aBaldwin theater organ. The unconventional recording process juxtaposed an experimental party-like atmosphere with short pieces of music edited together in a disjointed manner, combining the engineering methods of "Good Vibrations" (1966) with the loose feeling ofBeach Boys' Party! (1965). Despite leading these sessions, Wilson deliberately credited the album's production to the group collectively for the first time. (Full article...)
Image 15
Fôrça Bruta (Brazilian Portuguese:[ˈfoʁsɐˈbɾutɐ]^ⓘ) is the seventhstudio album by Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitaristJorge Ben. It was recorded with theTrio Mocotó band and released byPhilips Records in September 1970. Conceived at a time of political tension indictatorial Brazil, its title comes from thePortuguese term meaning "brute force" and has been interpreted ironically due to the music's relatively relaxed style.

The album introduced an acousticsamba-based music that is mellower, moodier, and less ornate than Ben's preceding work. Its largely unrehearsed, nighttime recording session found the singer improvising with Trio Mocotó'sgroove-oriented accompaniment while experimenting with unconventional rhythmic arrangements, musical techniques, and elements ofsoul,funk, androck. Ben's lyrics generally explore themes of romantic passion, melancholy, and sensuality, with women figuring prominently in his songs. In a departure from the carefree sensibility of his past releases, they also feature elements ofidentity politics andpostmodernism, such as irony and reimagining of established idioms. (Full article...)

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Image 1
Hera Hjartardóttir
Photo:Kyle Cassidy
Hera is an Icelandicsinger-songwriter who emigrated to New Zealand as a teenager. She is known for her facial art, which is "inspired bymoko and also byCeltic warrior paint" and intended to represent both her Icelandic and New Zealand heritage. In 2002 she was named Best Female Singer at the Icelandic Music Awards.
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Image 2
Fervaal
Illustration credit:Carlos Schwabe; restored byAdam Cuerden
Fervaal is an opera with a prologue and three acts by the French composerVincent d'Indy. Fervaal is the son of a Celtic king and is destined to be the last advocate of the old gods. His mission is to save his homeland from invasion and pillage, but in doing so he must renounce love. This illustration, by the Swiss painterCarlos Schwabe, relates to the 10 May 1898 premiere of the opera at theThéâtre de l'Opéra-Comique in Paris. Here, Fervaal is depicted ascending a mountain while carrying the body of his beloved Guilhen at the end of the opera, as the pagan gods and their worshippers fade out of existence with the dawn of Christianity.
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Image 3
Bessie Smith
Photograph credit:Carl Van Vechten; restored byAdam Cuerden
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an Americanblues singer widely renowned during theJazz Age. She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on fellow blues singers, as well as jazz vocalists.

Born inChattanooga, Tennessee, her parents died when Smith was young, and she and her sister survived by performing on the streets ofChattanooga, Tennessee. She began touring and performed in a group that includedMa Rainey, and then went out on her own. Her successful recording career began in the 1920s, until an automobile accident ended her life at age 43.
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Image 4
Hayley Williams
Photograph:Sven-Sebastian Sajak
Hayley Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. She serves as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and occasional keyboardist of therock bandParamore. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Williams moved to Franklin, Tennessee, at the age of fifteen after her parents divorced. In 2004, she formed Paramore alongsideJosh Farro,Zac Farro, andJeremy Davis. The band currently consists of Williams, Farro and Taylor York. They have released five studio albums:All We Know Is Falling (2005),Riot! (2007),Brand New Eyes (2009),Paramore (2013) andAfter Laughter (2017).
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Image 5
Mike Dirnt
Photograph:Sven-Sebastian Sajak
Mike Dirnt (b. 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and composer. He is best known as the co-founder,bassist, backing and occasional lead vocalist of American punk rock bandGreen Day. He has played in several other bands, includingThe Frustrators.
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Image 6
Aida
Photograph: Avinoam Michaeli
Aida is an opera in four acts byGiuseppe Verdi to an Italianlibretto byAntonio Ghislanzoni. Set in theOld Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo'sKhedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted byGiovanni Bottesini.

This picture shows the set for a performance ofAida by theIsraeli Opera in 2011.
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Image 7
Henrik Freischlader
Photograph:Stefan Krause
Henrik Freischlader (b. 1982) is a German blues guitarist and singer. He began his career in 1998, and established his own label, Cable Car Records, in 2009.
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Image 8
Frédéric Chopin
Photo credit:Louis-Auguste Bisson
The only knownphotograph ofFrédéric Chopin, often incorrectly described as adaguerreotype. It is believed to have been taken in 1849 during the degenerative stages of histuberculosis, shortly before his death. Chopin, aPolish pianist andcomposer of theRomantic era, is widely regarded as one of the most famous, influential, admired and prolific composers for the piano. He moved toParis at the age of twenty, adopting theFrench variant of his name, "Frédéric-François", by which he is now known.
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Image 9
Louis Armstrong
Photo credit:New York World-Telegram and Sun
Louis Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo" or "Pops", was an Americanjazz trumpeter and singer. Armstrong was a foundational influence on jazz, shifting the music's focus from collective improvisation to solo performers. With his distinctive gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser and as ascat singer.
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Image 10
Elvis Presley meetsRichard Nixon
Photograph:Oliver F. Atkins
American singerElvis Presley meeting then-presidentRichard Nixon on December 21, 1970. During the meeting, the singer expressed his patriotism and his contempt forhippies, the growingdrug culture, and thecounterculture in general. Presley then asked Nixon for aBureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge, to signify official sanction of his patriotic efforts. Nixon gave Presley the badge and expressed a belief that Presley could send a positive message to young people and that it was therefore important he retain his credibility.
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Image 11
Lina Rafn
Photo:Jepsen
Lina Rafn (b. 1976) is a Danish singer, songwriter and producer active with the bandInfernal. She had previously been aVJ on the showThe Voice TV Danmark.
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Image 12
Aida
Drawing credit:Philippe Chaperon; restored byAdam Cuerden
Aida is agrand opera in four acts byGiuseppe Verdi to an Italianlibretto byAntonio Ghislanzoni. Set in theOld Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo'sKhedivial Opera House and had its premiere there on 24 December 1871, in a performance conducted byGiovanni Bottesini. Today, the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world; at New York'sMetropolitan Opera alone,Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886.

This picture is the set design for Act 1, Scene 2, of the opera's 1871 premiere, depicting theportico of the Temple of Vulcan, designed byPhilippe Chaperon. The drawing is in the collection of theBibliothèque nationale de France.
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Image 13
Nina Sublatti
Photograph:Ailura
Nina Sublatti (b. 1995) is aGeorgian singer, songwriter, and model. Having previously won the 2013 Georgian edition ofIdol, she achieved international attention when sherepresented her country inEurovision Song Contest 2015 with her song "Warrior". She has since served as a judge onX Factor Georgia andIdols.
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Image 14
Alexz Johnson
Photo:Epitome Pictures
Alexz Johnson (b. 1986) is a Canadiansinger-songwriter and actress, best known for roles as Jude Harrison in theCTV seriesInstant Star (character shown here), Annie Thelan in theDisney Channel seriesSo Weird, and as Erin Ulmer in the 2006 horror filmFinal Destination 3. Her albumVoodoo was released in 2010.
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Image 15
L'éclair
Illustration:Paul Gavarni; restoration:Adam Cuerden
L'éclair is anopéra comique in three acts byFromental Halévy to alibretto byJules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. Premiered by the ParisOpéra-Comique at theSalle de la Bourse on 16 December 1835, the opera was well received. It follows the amours of the Englishman George and the American Lyonel for two sisters, the bachelorette Henriette and the widow Mme. Darbel.
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Did you know(auto-generated)

... thatYamada'sSymphony in F major had to be reconstructed after a maritime accident and after thebombing of Tokyo during WWII?
... thatLinda Anne Hutchison performed as a leading soprano of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, including during its first visit to continental Europe since the 1880s?
... that theAcademy of Music was the name of three different theaters located on the same property on theAtlantic City Boardwalk which were all destroyed by fires?
... thatAileen Davies sang roles on the first two D'Oyly Carte Opera Company recordings using the new electrical-recording technology?
... thatRued Langgaard said that hisSymphony No. 6 depicts the struggle between Jesus and "spiritual wickedness in high places"?
... that the music ofFontaine inGenshin Impact was performed by theLondon Symphony Orchestra?